Smelter.



'A. R. PVARTRIDGE. SMBLTBR. I f APPLICATION FILED 1330.21, 1910. I

1,025,922. l f y meme, May 7, 1912.

4 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

Imn??? A. `R.MRTRIDGE.

SMBLTBR.

y APPLICATION FILED DB0. 21, 191o.

Patented may 7, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

um' y|11 Hun A. R. PARTRIDGE. SMBLTER.

APPLICATION I 'ILED DBG. 21, 1910.

'Patented May 7, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. R. PARTRI'DGE.

SMBLTBR. APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 21, 1910.

Patented May 7, 1,912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4=1 UNITED sTATEs lraTnNT cierren'.

ALLEN R. PARTRIDGE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO PARTRTDGE SMELTING' AND REFINING COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION.

sMELTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

` Patented May 7', 1912.

Application led December 21, 1910. Serial No. 598,558.

-a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at Denver, Colorado, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Smelters, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to a new and improved device for the treatment and reduction of ore by fire.

The invention is demonstrated by the drawings accompanying this specification.

Figure 1,- represents the complete furnace shown i'n section and demonstrates its mode of operation, also' the method of disposing of the slags or waste material. and utilizing these same slags to pre-heat the blast necessary for the smelting of vthe ores. Also the method of applying the water trap. Fig. 2,

-is another view showing the method of in- 'troducing the Crucible/into the chamber, the

method of tapping for the bullion or results of the operation and the method of dispos ing of the slags without loss of blast and subsequently extracting them mechanically from the water well. Fig. 3, shows a lan of the whole furnace. Figs. 4 and 5 s ow in plan and vertical section, respectively, the

method of discharging the chilled slags from the carriers and the water seal employed to keep the blast from escaping out of the wind `chamber while discharging the slags into the elevator boot and elevator.

A represents any ordinary stackto carry pressure of the blast.

AAA- is a door which is closed or o ened at will and is the point af which the c arge of ore, iuxes and fuel is introduced. AIt is built on a slant,v 'as shown, in Fig.' l, so'that should the necessity of barring down the furnace occur, this can be done 'conveniently and allow the operator to hold his bar in avertical position, thus' making the operation more convenient and withless risk of injuring` the joints and rivets of the furnace jackets. This is not provided for in other furnaces.-

Bw is an ordinary furnace shaft, made either circular in shape, oblong or rectangular. depending on the requirements for special ores and the capacity of tonnage. This furnace shaft is water-jacketed in the usual manner, but has the distinction of being Vof the jacket for the open at the top in lieu of being closed as iti other furnace jackets, thus obviatingA the danger of explosion. This lshaft has the further distinction of having no ytwyers or air inlets as are found in'other furnaces.

B13- is one or more water inlets to cool the jacket.-

BBB-f is a pipe or other contriva-nce to carry away the waste or overiiow of the water.

b is an apron resting loosely on the top purpose' of preventing dust and particles of ore, uxes or fuel from dropping into the water jacket.

bbw is a trough placed around the top of the outer jacket. This a useful device for catching and confining any sudden overflow of waiter, due to sudden overheating of the water or when using water inclined to foam.

obbyis la connecting pipe which drains ing same into the main water drain.

C isa boxor receptacle I call the cruci- I ble chamber. This receptacle is of sufficient siae to allow lample room for the Crucible wlth its attendant appurtenances'described below. The furnace shaftv either rests upon this box or is riveted thereon andhas a hole in the top corresponding to the open space of the furnace shaft. I

@Q is a door (Figs. 2 and 3) of such size as 'to admit the entrance of the Crucible. This door is manipulated, 2'. e., opened or closed, by the toggle and couutcrweight, (c, c, 6,) in order to facilitate its manipulation. then the door is closed` it is made airtight. by fastening it against the chamber by means of one or more suitable lugs. This door is so manipulated, that when it is open, it serves as a platform to also fitted with rails (c, c, c. c.) making a still more convenient method of rolling the Crucible in or out. y

D- is the Crucible (sometimes called inner hearth and constitutes the receptacle l introduce or take. outI the crucible conveniently. The door is for the molten metals and refuse or slags and is the place where the separat-ion is made of the Vcommercial product from the valueless matter. This Crucible is made of any shape or slze consistent with the requirements of the nature of the smelting to be undertaken and 'it vhas the following 'fea tures: (1.) It is an entirely independent section of the machinery and is in no way attached to the furnace shaft nor does it touch the'crucible chamber at any place except at e hereinafter described. (2.) It is furnished'wit-h the slag spout (F) which acts as a conduit for the slags, which overflow from this conduit in a slow ruiming stream, thus permitting the perfect settling of the valuable particles into the bottom of the furnace. While this systemand device is used generally on copper furnaces, it differs materially inasmuch as it is inclosed inside of the chamber and is thuskept hot and thus avoids the common clogging that' occurs on the Vstandard types due to their exposure to the outside temperature. In standard plants this crucible is termed a fore-hearth and the furnace must -have a Crucible or bottom to collect the molten material before transferring it to the fore-hearth. By my method the molten .material has no chance to cool with contact to the outer atmosphere and consequently the loss by metallic particles being mechanically carried away, is obviated. lhen the crucible is introduced into thechamber and placed in position foroperating, it is run on the track (e, c, c, 0,) to

the movable platform (G). This platform position bythe com bination of gears` (II) or any other suitable contrivance. TheI gears are operated until the Crucible is raised to within one or more inches from the bottom of the furnace shaft. By this Contrivance, the blast enters the furnace gives a uniform temperature throughout the furnace, resulting in the entire furnace being clear and utilized for the purpose of smelting and obviates all furnace accretions, a thing which is not the ease with other types of furnaces. Also, itj accelerates the rate of smelting to upward of tive times the rate of other types, resulting in greater economy of operation, less loss of merchantable metals trough less volatilization and loss in flue dust, and a greater economy in power due to the low blast pressure required.

E; is a east iron, or copper, tapping block. This -is bolted or riveted to the Crucible andthe face of it is luted with clay and when the Crucible is in place this block lits close to the side Vof the chamber which has the necessary slots cut into it to. allow the bolts on the tapping block to appear' on /the outsidey as well as the tapping slit. `Nuts are placed on the bolts and tightened, thus making an air-tight joint and keeping the Crucible rigid at the same time.

AI is an ordinary spout boltedI ontoA the slot and is needed to conduct the valuable metal to the pot (J) of any other suitable receptacle. When the Crucible fills with molten matte and sla the latter runs ofi atthe spout F anl in a quiet and continuous flow, giving ample time to allow the the crucible chamber (C) proper uniformly, at every point andA valuable and heavier products to settle to the bottom, and through this method the slag runs olf perfectly clear and drops onto the cars (K).

Descm'ptz'oa of slag bom or heating 07mm- ?2612`This constitutes a rectangular or eircular iron box (L). I makey it preferably rectangular in order to act as a baille to the air and cause it to `mix bet-ter. In the center of the box is a bearing (M) in which rotates a hub preferably running on balls to lessen friction. From the spokes (O) radiate and upon these spokes the cars (K) are slipped and held in position by set collars, pins, or any othersuitable device. The slag box is connected to at (P) and the slags drop into the cars as shown at (Q.) Fig. il. The Cars are operated by the gear (R) and driven at a low rate of speed by the drit'e The blast is introduced preferably, but not essentially at (T). The

cars andlgear run on any suitable track.

These Cars travel in a circle and when under the spout (F) they collect individually the molten slags. The blast, produced by any suitable blower, plays over these slags and, due to the large cubical contents of the slag box, travels slowly in the direction of the arrows, into the shaft of the furnace and absorb all practical available heat. radiated from the slags, cooling and hardening them at the same time. As the blast travels. to the shaft of the furnace it maintains 'the Crucible (D) at a high temperature preventing the chilling of the mattes or copper. As the blast rises upward to enter the furnace shaft, it receives an additional heating from the powerful radiation of the space between the Crucible and the furnace sliaft.

(U)-is a platform insulated with earth, or any other suitable material for theioperator to stand on.

The cars are made preferably triangular in shape and shallow. The shape is such that they will lill the maximum space between the spokes; and they are made shallow because slags have a tendency to chill on their outer surface, thus forming an insulating medium and `etain their interior heat for a long time. By making the cakes thin, a large area is exposed to the air, thus heating the air by absorption more readily and preventing the'insulation mentioned above from taking place. They are discharged hard and`practically cold. A

The discharge is made in the following manner: After the cars make practically a complete circle, from the point where they receive the slags, they come over the hopper (V), where the track (W) terminates. Thus, meeting with no further rest, they turn on the spokes (O) and drop into a vertical position as shown by the .car (X), in Fig. 5, receiving at the same time a bump on the spring which at the same time acts as a guide to bring the car back to a horizontal position. It Will be-noted that the cars have an overlap (Y) so as to prevent slag dropping between the ears While passing under the stream of slag. From thehopper (V) the slag falls into the elevator boot (Z) and is' in turn taken therefrom by the elevatorl (Z) to any convenient point and discharged into any convenient receptacle, such as a car, a. Wheelbarrow or can be carried away by a stream of Water. The hopper (V) and the boot (Z) are-submerged in Water conned in a suitable Well, having a drain to maintain a constant Water level. The Figs. l, 2 and t, show the level of the water lower in the hopper than in thev Well, thus demonstrating the efficacy of the water seal and counteractin'g any possibility of escape of blast from the slag boX.

This method of extracting the slags may be modilied either by a series of automatic valves or other methods which are being eX perimented on at present.

I claim as my invention: l y

` l. In combination with a furnace shaft and Crucible, a slag box, a slag receiving' Well connected with the box, conveying buckets in the boX for receiving the slag from the Crucible and conveying it to the Well and automat-ic means for dumping the buckets.

2. A smelter Comprising a'furnace. shaft,-

a Crucible chamber connected therewith, avertically movable platform in said cham- Gopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentes' ber, a door for the chamber-formingan eX- vtension of the platform when open and' a Crucible adapted to pass over the door onto said platform.

3. A smelter comprising a shaft having an open bottom serving as an air inlet, a Crucible chamber connected With said bottom, a Crucible in said chamber, means for movingthe'crucible toward and from the vbottom of the shaft to adjust the air inlet to the shaft, said chamber having an outlet for the slag and means for introducing air 'through said outlet into the chamberso that said air is heated by the slag and the heat from the Crucible.

4. A smeltercomprising a vertical furnace shaft having an open bottom serving as an air inlet, a Crucible chamber at the bottom of said shaft, a Crucible in said chamber, means for moving thesame vertically toward and -from the bottom of the shaft to adjust the air inlet to the shaft, a slag box connected With the bottom of the .Cruciblf` chamber, means in said box for receiving the slag from the Crucible and conveying it to a delivery point, and means for passing air through 'the box into thel Crucible Chamber.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALLEN AR.' PARTRDGE.

Witnesses:

OTTO HOUSING, H. P. DIOKINsoN.

Washington, I).A C. 

